10 November 2025
India’s most competitive examinations— the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) isn’t just another test; it’s the bridge between years of preparation and a lifelong calling to serve in medicine.
But in recent years, this bridge has become increasingly unstable. Paper leaks, postponements to court battles and delayed counseling, layered on the uncertainty that aspirants have had to endure. The NEET PG 2024 cycle alone witnessed last-minute changes that left students stranded across cities, questioning not just the process but the system itself.
Behind every postponed notification lies a story of mounting anxiety. “Each delay is not just a date change, it’s a dagger into the heart of every young doctor’s stability,” said Dr Arun Kumar, National General Secretary of the United Doctors Front and an aspiring MD Medicine student.
“NEET PG examinees are not just students; they’re full-fledged doctors in their late 20s or early 30s, with families, spouses, and sometimes even retired parents who depend on them. When delays happen, the impact isn’t just academic, it’s financial and emotional,” said Dr Rohan Krishnan, Medical Activist & Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Gap years stretch longer. Coaching renewals drain resources. Rented rooms in faraway cities pile up bills. Some students, having already taken education loans, now pay EMIs for qualifications that remain on pause.
We pay rent in cities we no longer need to live in, EMIs for loans taken to study medicine, and fees to coaching institutes that profit from uncertainty. Many of us have turned down job opportunities waiting for ‘the next notification’. The financial bleed is continuous and merciless. What was a dream to serve the nation has turned into a waiting room of debt and despair.
According to a review of NEET PG counselling timelines between 2019 and 2025 by The Indian Express, a consistent pattern of delays was found, with gaps between result announcements and counselling stretching from over 40 days in 2019 to as high as 135 days in 2023.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which is the body in-charge of handling the counselling process for admissions, did not respond to NDTV Profit's requests for comment by the time of publishing this report.
Experts point to a web of reasons behind the recurring chaos— administrative inefficiency, poor coordination, legal loopholes and a lack of accountability. According to several media reports, NEET PG witnessed multiple rescheduling, impacting lakhs of aspirants in the past few years.
NEET PG delays have become a recurring issue, affecting students' dreams, families, and futures. Read about the impact and what students should know.